Zimbabwe Republic Police officers who were conducting routine investigations in Chegutu were waylaid by a notorious group of armed robbers and disposed of their belongings, police spokesperson Charity Charamba has confirmed.
Charamba said law enforcement agents had since busted the robbery gang who went on a rampage, committing a spate of armed robberies across the country during the period extending from 18 July 2018 until their arrest between 30 January and 11 February 2019.
“Police have made it clear that those who commit crimes will be arrested. There are no sacred cows, police are working 24/7 and have managed to account for some of the notorious robbers who have killed, injured, maimed people and got away with property worth over $100 000, 00,” Charamba said.
“The accused persons were moving around as a syndicate of up to 15 people and would scale the security walls of premises and pounce on unsuspecting occupants. They would then threaten and in some circumstances shoot at their victims and detain them at gun point while ransacking the residential/business properties of the victims.
“In some of the cases they would undress their victims and bundle them into their getaway vehicles to delay follow ups by the police. In Chegutu, the robbers were so daring to the extent of kidnapping and robbing police officers who had attended a scene at a company and engaged in an exchange of fire with the officers.”
Meanwhile, law enforcement agents said a man who was on the run in connection with 17 counts of Armed Robbery, one count of Rape and six counts of unlawful entry and theft, had been arrested and was now before the courts.
Kudakwashe Agustinyu Chirara is said to have committed the offences in Mutare, during the period 15 October 2018 to December 2018
Charamba said Chirara allegedly connived with Luis Zuze (29) who was arrested in December 2018 and is on remand.
“The accused persons would force open complainant’s door using unknown objects to enter the house and rob victims of their valuables. In some of the cases, the accused persons used machetes and catapults to threaten the victims before raping and robbing them of their valuables,” she said, adding:
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police would like to warn perpetrators of such acts that the long arm of the law will always catch up with them and will leave no stone unturned until all criminals are brought to book.”